Microsoft’s Windows 365 Cloud PCs become more flexible, integration with LG TV and more

[ad_1]

Microsoft is making its Cloud PCs more flexible with a new Windows 365 Frontline option, integration into 2023 LG TVs, and even a new Windows 365 experience for Android devices. Windows 365 Frontline is a new offering designed for frontline, shift, and part-time workers in an effort to give businesses more flexibility in how they purchase Cloud PC licenses.

Microsoft originally put PCs in the cloud with Windows 365 nearly two years ago, allowing businesses to access Windows in a web browser. Windows 365 Frontline goes into public preview today and features similar virtualized Windows 10 or Windows 11 PCs, but the crucial difference is that now up to three people can access a machine based on a single license. It is ideal for businesses that have frontline staff working shifts such as call centres, medical care and support workers.

The Windows 365 Frontline experience. Image: Microsoft

Shift workers can share licenses instead of paying for individual licenses that are only partially used, Wangui McKelvey, general manager for modern work apps at Microsoft, explains in an interview with The Verge. Windows 365 Frontline licenses can be shared across countries, making them useful for companies where not all employees work at the same time.

IT administrators will have the ability to control who is able to access these Cloud PCs and prioritize when sessions are disconnected. With Frontline, we’ve provided some very powerful tools for administrators to be able to see usage history and for administrators to be able to manage usage, says Scott Manchester, designer and director of Windows 365, in an interview with The Verge.

If a worker forgets to log out of a session at the end of a shift, administrators can initiate it or set policies so that machines are logged out automatically. Similarly, employees will see a queue if they are waiting for a Cloud PC to become available. They can see that they are in a queue and then, once the queue is open, they can regain connectivity, Manchester explains. Administrators will also be able to set up an automatic lock screen and automatic reset and wipe Cloud PCs at the end of a shift. These Cloud PCs can also be configured to install Windows updates outside of shifts to ensure no one gets restarted while they’re working.

Microsoft is still working on integrating these Cloud PCs into Windows 11 in a future update. The integration includes Windows 365 startup, which will allow Windows 11 devices to directly access a Cloud PC instance on startup instead of the local installation of Windows. The second feature is Windows 365 Switch, which integrates Cloud PCs into the Task View (virtual desktops) feature of Windows 11.

Integrating Windows 365 into Windows 11. Image: Microsoft

These features are now being tested in private builds of Windows 11 and will reach general availability later this year, according to Manchester. Microsoft is also working on a Windows 365 offline feature that allows you to work locally if you have connectivity issues to a Cloud PC. There are no new updates yet, but we are continuing to make progress, says Manchester.

Microsoft is also expanding the number of devices that can access Windows 365 Cloud PCs. While anyone can access them via a web browser, LG’s new 2023 smart TVs now have access to these Cloud PC workstations. All you have to do is pair a Bluetooth keyboard and mouse with your TV to turn it into a cloud-based PC. It’s currently only available on 2023 LG models, but there are plans for older LG models to be able to install the native Windows 365 app on the TV, according to Manchester.

The Windows 365 app. Image: Microsoft

So when will you be able to turn other TVs like Samsung and others into Windows 365 clients? You’ll see a lot of partners interested in this… you can imagine there’s probably a long line of partners interested in a very similar experience, says Manchester.

Microsoft is also bringing what it calls an enhanced Windows 365 experience to Android devices like Motorola’s Lenovo ThinkPhone. This new integrated experience will allow people to use the ThinkPhone for Windows 365 plug-and-play connectivity that automatically finds and configures their Cloud PC for use on an external display, says McKelvey.

It looks similar to Microsoft’s Windows Phone Continuum feature that turned a phone into a PC, but this time by connecting to a Cloud PC on the external monitor. Given the number of companies now offering hot desks with just a monitor, keyboard, and mouse, this type of integration would allow you to use your phone instead of lugging around a laptop to work.

Finally, the Windows 365 App is now available in the Microsoft Store. The app offers direct connectivity to Cloud PCs and the ability to restart and troubleshoot them.

[ad_2]